Matt Moore may refer to:

Matt Moore (actor) (1888–1960), Irish-born American film actor

Matt Moore (American football) (born 1984), American football quarterback

Matt Moore (basketball)

Matt Moore (musician), guitarist, vocalist, and video director from Southern Missouri

Matt Moore (baseball), Minor league baseball player

birth name	Michael Francis Moore
birth date	April 23, 1954
birth place	Flint, Michigan, United States
years active	1972–present
occupation	Actor, director, screenwriter, producer
spouse	Kathleen Glynn (1991–present)
alma mater	University of Michigan–Flint (dropped out)
website	http://michaelmoore.com/ }}

Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American filmmaker, author and liberal political commentator. He is the director and producer of ''Bowling for Columbine'', ''Fahrenheit 9/11'', ''Sicko'', and ''Capitalism: A Love Story'', four of the top ten highest-grossing documentaries of all time. In September 2008, he released his first free movie on the Internet, ''Slacker Uprising'', documenting his personal crusade to encourage more Americans to vote in presidential elections. He has also written and starred in the TV shows ''TV Nation'' and ''The Awful Truth''.

Moore criticizes globalization, large corporations, assault weapon ownership, U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, the Iraq War, the American health care system, and capitalism in his written and cinematic works.

Early life

Moore was born in Flint, Michigan and raised in Davison, a suburb of Flint, by parents Veronica (née Wall), a secretary, and Frank Moore, an automotive assembly-line worker. At that time, the city of Flint was home to many General Motors factories, where his parents and grandfather worked. His uncle LaVerne was one of the founders of the United Automobile Workers labor union and participated in the Flint Sit-Down Strike. Moore has described his parents as "Irish Catholic Democrats, basic liberal good people."

Moore was brought up Roman Catholic, attended parochial St. John's Elementary School for primary school and originally intended to join the seminary. He then attended Davison High School, where he was active in both drama and debate, graduating in 1972. As a member of the Boy Scouts of America, he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. At the age of 18, he was elected to the Davison school board.

Career

After dropping out of the University of Michigan–Flint following his freshman year (where he wrote for the student newspaper ''The Michigan Times''), Moore worked at the local Buick plant. At 22 he founded the alternative weekly magazine ''The Flint Voice'', which soon changed its name to ''The Michigan Voice'' as it expanded to cover the entire state. In 1986, when Moore became the editor of ''Mother Jones'', a liberal political magazine, he moved to California and ''The Michigan Voice'' was shut down.

After four months at ''Mother Jones'', Moore was fired. Matt Labash of ''The Weekly Standard'' reported this was for refusing to print an article by Paul Berman that was critical of the Sandinista human rights record in Nicaragua. Moore refused to run the article, believing it to be inaccurate. "The article was flatly wrong and the worst kind of patronizing bullshit. You would scarcely know from it that the United States had been at war with Nicaragua for the last five years." Berman described Moore as a "very ideological guy and not a very well-educated guy" when asked about the incident. Moore believes that ''Mother Jones'' fired him because of the publisher's refusal to allow him to cover a story on the GM plant closings in his hometown of Flint, Michigan. He responded by putting laid-off GM worker Ben Hamper (who was also writing for the same magazine at the time) on the magazine's cover, leading to his termination. Moore sued for wrongful dismissal, and settled out of court for $58,000, providing him with seed money for his first film, ''Roger & Me.''

Directing/producing

; ''Roger & Me'': Moore first became famous for his 1989 film, ''Roger & Me'', a documentary about what happened to Flint, Michigan after General Motors closed its factories and opened new ones in Mexico, where the workers were paid much less. Since then Moore has been known as a critic of the neoliberal view of globalization. "Roger" is Roger B. Smith, former CEO and president of General Motors.

; ''Pets or Meat: The Return to Flint'': (1992) is a short (23-minute) documentary film that was aired on PBS. It is based on the feature-length film ''Roger & Me'' (1989) by Michael Moore. The film's title refers to Rhonda Britton, a Flint, Michigan, resident featured in both the 1989 and 1992 films who sells rabbits as either pets or meat.

; ''Canadian Bacon'': In 1995, Moore released a satirical film, ''Canadian Bacon'', which features a fictional US president (played by Alan Alda) engineering a fake war with Canada in order to boost his popularity. It is noted for containing a number of Canadian and American stereotypes, and for being Moore's only non-documentary film. The film is also one of the last featuring Canadian-born actor John Candy, and also features a number of cameos by other Canadian actors. In the film, several potential enemies for America's next great campaign are discussed by the president and his cabinet. (The scene was strongly influenced by the Stanley Kubrick film ''Dr. Strangelove.'') The President comments that declaring war on Canada was as ridiculous as declaring war on international terrorism. His military adviser, played by Rip Torn, quickly rebuffs this idea, saying that no one would care about "... a bunch of guys driving around blowing up rent-a-cars."

; ''The Big One'': In 1997, Moore directed ''The Big One'', which documents the tour publicizing his book ''Downsize This! Random Threats from an Unarmed American'', in which he criticizes mass layoffs despite record corporate profits. Among others, he targets Nike for outsourcing shoe production to Indonesia.

; ''Bowling for Columbine'': Moore's 2002 film, ''Bowling for Columbine'', probes the culture of guns and violence in the United States, taking as a starting point the Columbine High School massacre of 1999. ''Bowling for Columbine'' won the Anniversary Prize at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival and France's César Award as the Best Foreign Film. In the United States, it won the 2002 Academy Award for Documentary Feature. It also enjoyed great commercial and critical success for a film of its type and became, at the time, the highest-grossing mainstream-released documentary (a record now held by Moore's ''Fahrenheit 9/11''). It was praised by some for illuminating a subject slighted by the mainstream media.

; ''Fahrenheit 9/11'': ''Fahrenheit 9/11'' examines America in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, particularly the record of the Bush administration and alleged links between the families of George W. Bush and Osama bin Laden. ''Fahrenheit'' was awarded the ''Palme d'Or'', the top honor at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival; it was the first documentary film to win the prize since 1956. Moore later announced that ''Fahrenheit 9/11'' would not be in consideration for the 2005 Academy Award for Documentary Feature, but instead for the Academy Award for Best Picture. He stated he wanted the movie to be seen by a few million more people via a television broadcast prior to election day. According to Moore, "Academy rules forbid the airing of a documentary on television within nine months of its theatrical release", and since the November 2 election was fewer than nine months after the film's release it would have been disqualified for the Documentary Oscar. However, Fahrenheit received no Oscar nomination for Best Picture. The title of the film alludes to the classic book ''Fahrenheit 451'' about a future totalitarian state in which books are banned; according to the book, paper begins to burn at 451 degrees Fahrenheit. The pre-release subtitle of the film confirms the allusion: "The temperature at which freedom burns." At the box office, as of 2010 ''Fahrenheit 9/11'' is the highest-grossing documentary of all time, taking in over US$200 million worldwide, including United States box office revenue of almost US$120 million. In February 2011, Moore sued producers Bob and Harvey Weinstein for US$2.7 million in unpaid profits from the film, claiming they used "Hollywood accounting tricks" to avoid paying him the money.

; ''Sicko'': Moore directed this film about the American health care system, focusing particularly on the managed-care and pharmaceutical industries. At least four major pharmaceutical companies—Pfizer, Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca, and GlaxoSmithKline—ordered their employees not to grant any interviews to Moore. According to Moore on a letter at his website, "roads that often surprise us and lead us to new ideas—and challenge us to reconsider the ones we began with have caused some minor delays." The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on 19 May 2007, receiving a lengthy standing ovation, and was released in the U.S. and Canada on 29 June 2007. The film was the subject of some controversy when it became known that Moore went to Cuba with chronically ill September 11th rescue workers to shoot parts of the film. The United States is looking into whether this violates the trade embargo. The film is currently ranked the fourth highest grossing documentary of all time and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature.

; ''Captain Mike Across America'':Moore takes a look at the politics of college students in what he calls "Bush Administration America" with this film shot during Moore's 60-city college campus tour in the months leading up to the 2004 election. The film was later re-edited by Moore into ''Slacker Uprising''.

; ''Capitalism: A Love Story'': On September 23, 2009, Moore released a new movie titled ''Capitalism: A Love Story'', which looks at the late-2000s financial crisis and the U.S. economy during the transition between the incoming Obama Administration and the outgoing Bush Administration. Addressing a press conference at its release, Moore said, "Democracy is not a spectator sport, it's a participatory event. If we don't participate in it, it ceases to be a democracy. So Obama will rise or fall based not so much on what he does but on what we do to support him."

Acting

Moore has dabbled in acting, following a 2000 supporting role in ''Lucky Numbers'' as the cousin of Lisa Kudrow's character, who agrees to be part of the scheme concocted by John Travolta's character. He also had a cameo in his ''Canadian Bacon'' as an anti-Canada activist. In 2004, he did a cameo, as a news journalist, in ''The Fever'', starring Vanessa Redgrave in the lead.

Television

Between 1994 and 1995, he directed and hosted the BBC television series ''TV Nation'', which followed the format of news magazine shows but covered topics they avoid. The series aired on BBC2 in the UK. The series was also aired in the US on NBC in 1994 for 9 episodes and again for 8 episodes on Fox in 1995.

His other major series was ''The Awful Truth'', which satirized actions by big corporations and politicians. It aired on Channel 4 in the UK, and the Bravo network in the US, in 1999 and 2000.

Another 1999 series, ''Michael Moore Live'', was aired in the UK only on Channel 4, though it was broadcast from New York. This show had a similar format to ''The Awful Truth'', but also incorporated phone-ins and a live stunt each week.

In 1999 Moore won the Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award in Arts and Entertainment, for being the executive producer and host of ''The Awful Truth'', where he was also described as "muckraker, author and documentary filmmaker".

Music videos

Moore has directed several music videos, including two for Rage Against the Machine for songs from ''The Battle of Los Angeles'': "Sleep Now in the Fire" and "Testify". He was threatened with arrest during the shooting of "Sleep Now in the Fire", which was filmed on Wall Street; the city of New York had denied the band permission to play there, although the band and Moore had secured a federal permit to perform.

He also directed the videos for R.E.M. single "All the Way to Reno (You're Gonna Be a Star)" in 2001 and the System of a Down song "Boom!".

Appearances in other documentaries

Moore appeared in ''The Drugging of Our Children'', a 2005 documentary about over-prescription of psychiatric medication to children and teenagers, directed by Gary Null a proponent of Alternative Medicine. In the film Moore agrees with Gary Null that Ritalin and other similar drugs are over-prescribed, saying that they are seen as a "pacifier".

Moore appeared on fellow Flint natives Grand Funk Railroad's edition of Behind The Music.

Moore appeared as an off-camera interviewer in ''Blood in the Face'', a 1991 documentary about white supremacy groups. The film centers around a neo-Nazi gathering in Michigan.

Moore appeared in ''The Yes Men'', a 2003 documentary about two men who pose as the World Trade Organization. He appears during a segment concerning working conditions in Mexico and Latin America.

Moore was interviewed for the 2004 documentary, ''The Corporation.'' One of his highlighted quotes was: "The problem is the profit motive: for corporations, there's no such thing as 'enough'".

Moore appeared in the 2006 documentary ''I'm Going to Tell You a Secret'', which chronicles Madonna during her 2004 Re-Invention World Tour. Moore attended her show in New York City at Madison Square Garden.

Books

Moore has authored three best-selling books:

''Downsize This!'' (1996), about politics and corporate crime in the United States,

''Stupid White Men'' (2001), ostensibly a critique of American domestic and foreign policy but, by Moore's own admission, "a book of political humor," and

''Dude, Where's My Country?'' (2003), an examination of the Bush family's relationships with Saudi royalty, the Bin Laden family, and the energy industry, and a call-to-action for liberals in the 2004 election.

Political views

Though Moore rejects the label "political activist", he has been active in promoting his political views. According to John Flesher of the Associated Press, Moore is known for his "fiery left-wing populism," and publications such as the Socialist Worker Online have hailed him as the "new Tom Paine."

Moore was a high-profile guest at both the 2004 Democratic National Convention and the 2004 Republican National Convention, chronicling his impressions in ''USA Today''. He was criticized in a speech by Republican Senator John McCain as "a disingenuous film-maker." Moore laughed and waved as Republican attendees jeered, later chanting "four more years." Moore gestured his thumb and finger at the crowd, which translates into "loser."

During September and October 2004, Moore spoke at universities and colleges in swing states during his "Slacker Uprising Tour". The tour gave away ramen and underwear to young people who promised to vote. This provoked public denunciations from the Michigan Republican Party and attempts to convince the government that Moore should be arrested for buying votes, but since Moore did not tell the "slackers" involved for ''whom'' to vote, just to vote, district attorneys refused to get involved. Quite possibly the most controversial stop during the tour was Utah Valley State College in Orem, Utah. A fight for his right to speak ensued and resulted in massive public debates and a media blitz. Death threats, bribes and lawsuits followed. The event was chronicled in the documentary film ''This Divided State''.

Despite having supported Ralph Nader in 2000, Moore urged Nader not to run in the 2004 election so as not to split the left vote. On ''Real Time with Bill Maher'', Moore and Maher knelt before Nader to plead with him to stay out of the race. In June 2004, Moore stated that he is not a member of the Democratic party. Although Moore endorsed General Wesley Clark for the Democratic nomination on January 14, Clark withdrew from the primary race on February 11.

Moore drew attention when charging publicly that Bush was AWOL during his service in the National Guard, describing Bush as "The Deserter" (see George W. Bush military service controversy).

On April 21, 2008, Moore endorsed Barack Obama for President, stating that Hillary Clinton's recent actions had been "disgusting."

In December 2010, Moore publicly offered to contribute $20,000 to the bail of Julian Assange, then held in custody in Britain after Swedish prosecutors sent a European Arrest Warrant, wanting to question Assange for alleged sex crimes. Moore also wrote an open letter to the Swedish government, citing statistics on the increasing number of reported rape cases in Sweden. Some of these statistics appear to have been misinterpreted.

Personal life

Since 1990, Moore has been married to producer Kathleen Glynn, with whom he has a stepdaughter named Natalie. They live in Traverse City, Michigan.

Moore is a Catholic, but has said he disagrees with church teaching on subjects such as abortion and same-sex marriage. He acquired a life membership to the National Rifle Association following the Columbine massacre.

In 2005 ''Time'' magazine named him one of the world's 100 most influential people. Also in 2005, Moore started the annual Traverse City Film Festival in Traverse City, Michigan.

Moore's net worth has been estimated at "8 figures".

Controversy

Moore was criticized by Sean Hannity for criticizing capitalism while benefiting from it himself.

Published work

Bibliography

Filmography

''Roger & Me'' (1989)

''Pets or Meat: The Return to Flint'' (1992) (TV)

''Canadian Bacon'' (1995)

''The Big One'' (1997)

''And Justice for All'' (1998) (TV)

''Lucky Numbers'' (2000) (as actor)

''Bowling for Columbine'' (2002)

''The Corporation'' (2003)

''Fahrenheit 9/11'' (2004) "Palme d'Or" in Cannes

''Sicko'' (2007)

''Captain Mike Across America'' (2007)

''Slacker Uprising'' (2008)

''Capitalism: A Love Story'' (2009)

Television series

''TV Nation'' (1994)

''The Awful Truth'' (1999)

''Michael Moore Live'' (1999)

References

External links

Michael Moore on YouTube

The Populist: Michael Moore Can Make You Cry / ''New Yorker'' (16 February 2004)

America's Teacher by Naomi Klein, ''The Nation'', September 23, 2009

A 2007 NOW on PBS interview with Michael Moore What makes him tick, and why our health care system ticks him off

Michael Moore on His Life, His Films and His Activism - video interview by ''Democracy Now!''

Michael Moore on 2010 Midterm Elections, the Tea Party, and the Future of the Democratic Party

Category:1954 births Category:Living people Category:People from Flint, Michigan Category:Actors from Michigan Category:American alternative journalists Category:American anti–Iraq War activists Category:American anti-war activists Category:American documentary filmmakers Category:American film actors Category:American film directors Category:American health activists Category:American political writers Category:American social commentators Category:American writers of Irish descent Category:César Award winners Category:Documentary film directors Category:Eagle Scouts Category:Emmy Award winners Category:National Rifle Association members Category:University of Michigan alumni Category:Writers from Michigan Category:Writers Guild of America Award winners Category:Youth empowerment individuals Category:Youth rights individuals Category:Roman Catholic activists Category:Academy Award winners

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name	Robert Altman
birth name	Robert Bernard Altman
birth date	February 20, 1925
birth place	Kansas City, Missouri, United States
death date	November 20, 2006
death place	Los Angeles, California, United States
occupation	Film director and screenwriter
years active	1947–2006
spouse	LaVonne Elmer (1946–51)Lotus Corelli (1954–57)Kathryn Reed (1959–2006) }}

Robert Bernard Altman (February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.

His films ''MASH'' (1970), ''McCabe and Mrs. Miller'' (1971), and ''Nashville'' (1975) have been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

Early life and career

Altman was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of Helen (née Matthews), a ''Mayflower'' descendant from Nebraska, and Bernard Clement Altman, a wealthy insurance salesman and amateur gambler, who came from an upper-class family. Altman's ancestry was German, English and Irish; his paternal grandfather, Frank Altman, Sr., anglicized the spelling of the family name from "Altmann" to "Altman". Altman had a Catholic upbringing, but he did not continue to practice as a Catholic as an adult. He was educated at Rockhurst High School, a Jesuit school in Kansas City.

In 1943 Altman joined the United States Army Air Forces at the age of 18. During World War II, Altman flew more than 50 bombing missions as a crewman on a B-24 Liberator with the 307th Bomb Group in Borneo and the Dutch East Indies.

Upon his discharge in 1946, Altman moved to California. He worked in publicity for a company that had invented a tattooing machine to identify dogs. He entered filmmaking on a whim, selling a script to RKO for the 1948 picture ''Bodyguard'', which he co-wrote with George W. George. Altman's immediate success encouraged him to move to New York City, where he attempted to forge a career as a writer. Having enjoyed little success, in 1949 he returned to Kansas City, where he accepted a job as a director and writer of industrial films for the Calvin Company. He began to work with film technology and actors.

He directed some 65 industrial films and documentaries before being hired by a local businessman in 1956 to write and direct a feature film in Kansas City on juvenile delinquency. The film, titled ''The Delinquents'', made for $60,000, was purchased by United Artists for $150,000, and released in 1957. While primitive, this teen exploitation film contained the foundations of Altman's later work in its use of casual, naturalistic dialogue. With its success, Altman moved from Kansas City to California for the last time. He co-directed ''The James Dean Story'' (1957), a documentary rushed into theaters to capitalize on the actor's recent death and marketed to his emerging cult following.

Television work

Alfred Hitchcock noticed Altman's first two features and hired him as a director for his CBS anthology series ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents''. After just two episodes, Altman resigned due to differences with a producer. The exposure enabled him to begin a successful TV career; he directed series including ''Bonanza'', ''Combat!'', and the ''Kraft Television Theater''. He also was a director of the DuMont drama series ''Pulse of the City'' (1953–1954).

Through this early work on industrial films and TV series, Altman experimented with narrative technique and developed his characteristic use of overlapping dialogue. He also learned to work quickly and efficiently on a limited budget. During his TV period, though frequently fired for refusing to conform to network mandates, as well as insisting on expressing political subtexts and antiwar sentiments during the Vietnam years, Altman always was able to gain assignments. In 1964, the producers decided to expand one of his episodes for the ''Kraft Television Theatre'' for commercial release under the name, ''Nightmare in Chicago''.

Two years later, Altman was hired to direct the low-budget space travel feature ''Countdown'', but was fired within days of the project's conclusion because he had refused to edit the film to a manageable length. He did not direct another film until ''That Cold Day in the Park'' (1969), which was a critical and box-office disaster.

Mainstream success

In 1969 Altman was offered the script for ''MASH'', an adaptation of a little-known Korean War-era novel satirizing life in the armed services; more than a dozen other filmmakers had passed it by. Production was sometimes so tumultuous that the leads Elliot Gould and Donald Sutherland tried to have Altman fired over his unorthodox filming methods, but ''MASH'' was widely hailed as an immediate classic upon its 1970 release. It won the ''Palme d'Or'' at the 1970 Cannes Film Festival and netted six Academy Award nominations. It was Altman's highest-grossing film, released during a time of increasing anti-war sentiment in the United States.

Now recognized as a major talent, Altman had critical breakthroughs with ''McCabe & Mrs. Miller'' (1971), known for its gritty portrayal of the American frontier; ''The Long Goodbye'' (1973), a remake of a Raymond Chandler novel; ''Thieves Like Us'' (1974), and ''Nashville'' (1975). These made his distinctive, experimental, "Altman style" more well known.

Altman favored stories expressing the interrelationships among several characters; he stated that he was more interested in character motivation than in intricate plots. He tended to sketch out only a basic plot for the film, referring to the screenplay as a "blueprint" for action. He allowed his actors to improvise dialogue and was known as an "actor's director," a reputation that attracted many notable actors to work in his large casts.

To convey a naturalistic effect, he recorded the characters talking over each other, allowing the audience to hear only scraps of dialogue. He noted on the DVD commentary of ''McCabe & Mrs. Miller'' (1971) that he uses this technique, together with leaving elements of the plot for the audience to infer, because he wants people to pay attention and become engaged in the film. During the filming, he wore a headset to ensure that important dialogue could be heard, without emphasizing it. He wanted his films to be rated R (by the MPAA rating system) to keep children out of his audiences; he did not believe they had the patience and attention for his films. Movie studios wanted the films rated for the largest possible audiences to gain increased revenues.

Altman made films that no other filmmaker and/or studio would. He had been reluctant to make the Korean War comedy ''MASH'' (1970), but it became a critical success. It inspired the long-running TV series of the same name. In 1975, Altman made ''Nashville'', which had a strong political theme set against the world of country music. The stars of the film wrote their own songs; Keith Carradine won an Academy Award for the song "I'm Easy".

Audiences took some time to appreciate his films, and he did not want to have to satisfy studio officials. In 1970, following the release of ''MASH,'' he founded Lion's Gate Films to have independent production freedom. (It has no relation to today's Canada/U.S.-based entertainment company Lionsgate). The films he made through his company included ''Brewster McCloud'', ''A Wedding'', ''3 Women'', and ''Quintet''.

Later career and renaissance

In 1980, he directed the musical ''Popeye'', based on the comic strip/cartoon of the same name, which starred the comedian Robin Williams in his big-screen debut. Though some critics thought it a failure, the film made money, and was the second highest-grossing film Altman had directed to that point. (''Gosford Park'' is now the second highest).

During the 1980s, Altman did a series of films, some well-received (''Secret Honor'') and some critically panned (''O.C. & Stiggs''). He also garnered a good deal of acclaim for his TV "mockumentary" ''Tanner '88'', based on a presidential campaign, for which he earned an Emmy Award and regained critical favor. Still, widespread popularity with audiences continued to elude him.

In 1981, finding Hollywood increasingly uninterested in funding and distributing the films he wanted to make, Altman sold his Lion's Gate studio and production facility to producer Jonathan Taplin. He revitalized his career with ''The Player'' (1992), a satire of Hollywood, which was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Director. While he did not win the Oscar, he was awarded Best Director by the Cannes Film Festival, BAFTA, and the New York Film Critics Circle.

Altman directed ''Short Cuts'' (1993), an ambitious adaptation of several short stories by Raymond Carver, which portrayed the lives of various citizens of Los Angeles over the course of several days. The film's large cast and intertwining of many different storylines were similar to his large-cast films of the 1970s; he won the Golden Lion at the 1993 Venice International Film Festival and another Oscar nomination for Best Director. In 1996, Altman directed ''Kansas City'', expressing his love of 1930s jazz through a complicated kidnapping story. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1999.

Altman directed ''Gosford Park'' (2001), and his portrayal of a large-cast, British country house mystery was included on many critics' lists of the ten best films of that year. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay (Julian Fellowes) plus six more nominations, including two for Altman, as Best Director and Best Picture.

Working with independent studios such as the now-shuttered Fine Line, Artisan (which was absorbed into today's Lionsgate), and USA Films (now Focus Features), gave Altman the edge in making the kinds of films he has always wanted to make without studio interference. A film version of Garrison Keillor's public radio series ''A Prairie Home Companion'' was released in June 2006. Altman was still developing new projects up until his death, including a film based on ''Hands on a Hard Body: The Documentary'' (1997).

In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded Altman an Academy Honorary Award for Lifetime Achievement. During his acceptance speech, he revealed that he had received a heart transplant approximately ten or eleven years earlier. The director then quipped that perhaps the Academy had acted prematurely in recognizing the body of his work, as he felt like he might have four more decades of life ahead of him.

Personal life

In the 1960s, Altman lived for nine years with his second wife in Mandeville Canyon in Brentwood, California. He moved to Malibu but in 1981 sold that home and the Lion's Gate production company. "I had no choice", he told the ''New York Times''. "Nobody was answering the phone" after the flop of ''Popeye''." He moved his family and business headquarters to New York, but eventually moved back to Malibu, where he lived until his death.

In November 2000, he claimed that he would move to Paris if George W. Bush were elected, but joked that he had meant Paris, Texas when it came to pass. He noted that "the state would be better off if he (Bush) is out of it." Altman was an outspoken marijuana user, and served as a member of the NORML advisory board. He was one of numerous notable public figures, including the critic Noam Chomsky and the actress Susan Sarandon, who signed the "Not In My Name" declaration opposing the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Death

Altman died on November 20, 2006, at age 81 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. According to his production company in New York, Sandcastle 5 Productions, he died of complications from leukemia.

Altman is survived by his wife, Kathryn Reed Altman; six children, Christine Westphal, Michael Altman, Stephen Altman (his production designer of choice for many films), Connie Corriere, Robert Reed Altman, and Matthew Altman; 12 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

The film director Paul Thomas Anderson dedicated his 2007 film ''There Will Be Blood'' to Altman. Anderson had worked as a standby director for ''A Prairie Home Companion'' (2006) for insurance purposes, and in the event the ailing 80-year-old Altman was unable to finish shooting.

In 2009 the University of Michigan made the winning bid for the Altman archives: approximately 900 boxes of personal papers, scripts, legal, business and financial records, photographs, props and related material; the total collection measures over 1,000 linear feet. Altman had filmed ''Secret Honor'' at the university, as well as directed several operas there.

Filmography

Shorts

{|class="wikitable" border="2" cellpadding="3" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! style="background:#BOC4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#BOC4DE;" | Film ! style="background:#BOC4DE;" | Notes |- | 1949 | ''Honeymoon for Harriet'' | Short Industrial Film: International Harvester |- |rowspan="2" | 1951 | ''Modern Football'' | Short Industrial Film: Official Sports Film Service |- | ''The Dirty Look'' | Short Industrial Film: Gulf Oil |- |rowspan="3" | 1952 | ''The Last Mile'' | Short Industrial Film: Caterpillar Tractor Company |- | ''The Sound of Bells'' | Short Industrial Film: Goodrich Corporation |- | ''King Basketball'' | Short Industrial Film: Official Sports Film Service |- | 1953 | ''Modern Baseball'' | Short Industrial Film: Official Sports Film Service |- |rowspan="3" | 1954 | ''The Builders'' | Short Industrial Film: Wire Reinforcement Institute |- | ''Better Football'' | Short Industrial Film: Official Sports Film Service |- | ''The Perfect Crime'' | Short Industrial Film: Caterpillar Tractor Company |- | 1955 | ''The Magic Bond'' | Short Industrial Film: Veterans of Foreign Wars |- |rowspan="2" | 1965 | ''The Katherine Reed Story'' | Short Documentary |- | ''Pot au feu'' | Short |- |rowspan="4" | 1966 | ''Girl Talk'' | ColorSonics Short |- | ''The Party'' | ColorSonics Short |- | ''Speak Low'' | ColorSonics Short |- | ''Ebb Tide'' | ColorSonics Short |- |}

Motion pictures

{|class="wikitable" border="2" cellpadding="3" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! style="background:#BOC4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#BOC4DE;" | Film ! style="background:#BOC4DE;" | Notes |- |rowspan="2" | 1957 | ''The Delinquents'' | |- | ''The James Dean Story'' | Documentaryco-dir: George W. George |- | 1968 | ''Countdown'' | |- | 1969 | ''That Cold Day in the Park'' | |- |rowspan="2" | 1970 | ''MASH'' | Palme d'OrKansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best DirectorNominated – Academy Award for Directing Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best DirectionNominated – Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing - Feature FilmNominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Director |- | ''Brewster McCloud'' | |- | 1971 | ''McCabe & Mrs. Miller'' | Nominated – Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay |- | 1972 | ''Images'' | Nominated – Palme d'OrNominated – Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay |- | 1973 | ''The Long Goodbye'' | |- |rowspan="2" | 1974 | ''Thieves Like Us'' | |- | ''California Split'' | |- | 1975 | ''Nashville'' | Bodil Award for Best Non-European FilmKansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best DirectorNational Board of Review Award for Best DirectorNational Society of Film Critics Award for Best DirectorNominated – Academy Award for DirectingNominated – César Award for Best Foreign FilmNominated – Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing - Feature FilmNominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Director |- | 1976 | ''Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson'' | Golden Bear at Berlin |- | 1977 | ''3 Women'' | Nominated – Palme d'Or |- | 1978 | ''A Wedding'' | Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best DirectionNominated – BAFTA Award for Best Original ScreenplayNominated – César Award for Best Foreign FilmNominated – Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay |- |rowspan="2" | 1979 | ''Quintet'' | |- | ''A Perfect Couple'' | |- |rowspan="2" | 1980 | ''HealtH'' | |- | ''Popeye'' | |- | 1982 | ''Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean'' | |- | 1983 | ''Streamers'' | DVD released in 2010 by Shout! Factory |- |rowspan="2" | 1984 | ''Secret Honor'' | |- | ''O.C. & Stiggs'' | Released in 1987 |- | 1985 | ''Fool for Love'' | Troia International Film Festival Golden DolphinNominated – Palme d'Or |- |rowspan="2" | 1987 | ''Beyond Therapy'' | |- | ''Aria'' | Segment: ''Les Boréades''Nominated – Palme d'Or |- | 1990 | ''Vincent and Theo'' | |- | 1992 | ''The Player'' | BAFTA Award for Best DirectionBodil Award for Best Non-European Film''Prix de la mise en scèneItalian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Award for Best Foreign DirectorLondon Film Critics Circle Award for Best DirectorNew York Film Critics Circle Award for Best DirectorSoutheastern Film Critics Association Award for Best DirectorNominated – Academy Award for DirectingNominated – BAFTA Award for Best FilmNominated – Palme d'OrNominated – César Award for Best Foreign FilmNominated – Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing - Feature FilmNominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Director |- | 1993 | ''Short Cuts'' | Independent Spirit Award for Best FilmIndependent Spirit Award for Best ScreenplayBodil Award for Best American FilmBoston Society of Film Critics Award for Best ScreenplayItalian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Award for Best Foreign DirectorGolden LionNominated – Academy Award for DirectingNominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay Nominated – César Award for Best Foreign Film |- | 1994 | ''Prêt-à-Porter'' | Also released as ''Ready to Wear'' |- | 1996 | ''Kansas City'' | Nominated – Palme d'Or |- | 1998 | ''The Gingerbread Man'' | |- | 1999 | ''Cookie's Fortune'' | Nominated – Independent Spirit Award for Best Film |- | 2000 | ''Dr. T & the Women'' | Nominated – Golden Lion |- | 2001 | ''Gosford Park'' | American Film Institute Director of the YearBAFTA Award for Best British FilmEvening Standard British Film Award for Best FilmGolden Globe Award for Best DirectorItalian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Award for Best Foreign DirectorDirectorNew York Film Critics Circle Award for Best DirectorRobert Award for Best American Film of the YearNominated – BAFTA Award for Best DirectionNominated – Academy Award for DirectingNominated – Bodil Award for Best American FilmNominated – Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best FilmNominated – César Award for Best European Union FilmNominated – Goya Award for Best European Film |- | 2003 | ''The Company'' | |- | 2006 | ''A Prairie Home Companion'' | Also released as ''The Last Show''Hochi Film Award for Best International FilmNominated – Independent Spirit Award for Best DirectorNominated – Bodil Award for Best American Film |}

Television work

television films and miniseries

''Nightmare in Chicago'' (1964) [previously "''Once Upon a Savage Night''" in ''Kraft Suspense Theater'']

''Precious Blood'' (1982) – Television film written by Frank South

''Rattlesnake in a Cooler'' (1982) – Television film written by Frank South

''Secret Honor'' (1984)

''The Laundromat'' (1985) (60 min.)

''Basements'' (1987) – two one-act plays by Harold Pinter: ''The Dumb Waiter'' and ''The Room'' (the former was released to video as its own feature by Prism Entertainment)

''Tanner '88'' (1988) – six hour mini-series for HBO

''The Caine Mutiny Court Martial'' (1988) – Television film based on the play by Herman Wouk

''Vincent & Theo'' (1990) – British Mini-series in 4 parts, later released in edited form worldwide as feature film.

''McTeague'' (1992) – an opera for PBS

''The Real McTeague'' (1993) – making of "McTeague", also for PBS

''Black and Blue'' (1993) – an Emmy nominated filmed play which aired on PBS' "Great Performances"

''Robert Altman's Jazz '34'' (1996) – PBS special about the music from ''Kansas City''

''Tanner on Tanner'' (2004) – two hour mini-series for the Sundance Channel, a follow-up to ''Tanner '88''

Television episodes

''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' (1957–58)

* ep. 3–9: "The Young One" (air-date December 1, 1957)

* ep. 3–15: "Together" (a.d. January 12, 1958)

''M Squad'' (1958) ep. 1–21: "Lover's Lane Killing" (a.d. February 14, 1958)

''The Millionaire'' aka ''If You Had A Million'' (1958–59)

: ''directed by Altman''

* ep #148 / 5–14: "Pete Hopper: Afraid of the Dark" (a.d. December 10, 1958)

* ep #162 / 5–28: "Henry Banning: The Show Off" (a.d. April 1, 1959)

* ep #185 / 6–14: "Jackson Greene: The Beatnik" (a.d. December 22, 1959)

: ''written by Altman''

* ep #160 / 5–26: "Alicia Osante: Beauty and the Sailor" (a.d. March 18, 1959)

* ep #174 / 6-3: "Lorraine Dagget: The Beach Story" [story] (a.d. September 29, 1959)

* ep #183 / 6–12: "Andrew C. Cooley: Andy and Clara" (a.d. December 8, 1959)

''Whirlybirds'' (1958–59)

* ep. #71 / 2–32: "The Midnight Show" (a.d. December 8, 1958)

* ep. #79 / 3-1: "Guilty of Old Age" (a.d. April 13, 1959)

* ep. #80 / 3-2: "A Matter of Trust" (a.d. April 6, 1959)

* ep. #81 / 3-3: "Christmas in June" (a.d. April 20, 1959)

* ep. #82 / 3–4: "Til Death Do Us Part" (unknown air-date, probably April 27, 1959)

* ep. #83 / 3–5: "Time Limit" (a.d. May 4, 1959)

* ep. #84 / 3–6: "Experiment X-74" (a.d. May 11, 1959)

* ep. #87 / 3–9: "The Challenge" (a.d. June 1, 1959)

* ep. #88 / 3–10: "The Big Lie" (a.d. June 8, 1959)

* ep. #91 / 3–13: "The Perfect Crime" (a.d. June 29, 1959)

* ep. #92 / 3–14: "The Unknown Soldier" (a.d. July 6, 1959)

* ep. #93 / 3–15: "Two of a Kind" (a.d. July 13, 1959)

* ep. #94 / 3–16: "In Ways Mysterious" (a.d. July 20, 1959)

* ep. #97 / 3–19: "The Black Maria" (a.d. August 10, 1959)

* ep. #98 / 3–20: "The Sitting Duck" (a.d. August 17, 1959)

''U.S. Marshal'' (original title: ''Sheriff of Cochise'') (1959)

: ''verified''

* ep. 4–17: "The Triple Cross"

* ep. 4–23: "Shortcut to Hell"

* ep. 4–25: "R.I.P." (a.d. June 6, 1959)

: ''uncertain; some sources cite Altman on these episodes; no known source cites anybody else''

* ep. 4–18: "The Third Miracle"

* ep. 4–31: "Kill or Be Killed"

* ep. 4–32: "Backfire"

* ep. "Tapes For Murder"

* ep. "Special Delivery"

* ep. "Paper Bullets"

* ep. "Tarnished Star"

''Troubleshooters'' (1959) (13 episodes)

''Hawaiian Eye'' (1959) ep. 8: "Three Tickets to Lani" (a.d. November 25, 1959)

''Sugarfoot'' (1959–60)

* ep. #47 / 3–7: "Apollo With A Gun" (a.d. December 8, 1959)

* ep. #50 / 3–10: "The Highbinder" (a.d. January 19, 1960)

''Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse'' (1960)

* ep. "The Sound of Murder" (a.d. January 1, 1960)

* ep. "Death of a Dream"

''The Gale Storm Show'' aka ''Oh! Susanna'' (1960) ep. #125 / 4–25: "It's Magic" (a.d. March 17, 1960)

''Bronco'' (1960) ep #41 / 3-1: "The Mustangers" (a.d. October 17, 1960)

''Maverick'' (1960) ep. #90: "Bolt From the Blue" (a.d. November 27, 1960)

''The Roaring '20s'' (1960–61)

* ep. 1–5: "The Prairie Flower" (a.d. November 12, 1960)

* ep. 1–6: "Brother's Keeper" (a.d. November 19, 1960)

* ep. 1–8: "White Carnation" (a.d. December 3, 1960)

* ep. 1–12: "Dance Marathon" (a.d. January 14, 1961)

* ep. 1–15: "Two a Day" (a.d. February 4, 1961)

* ep. 1–28&29: "Right Off the Boat" Parts 1 & 2 (a.d. May 13/20, 1961)

* ep. 1–31: "Royal Tour" (a.d. June 3, 1961)

* ep. 2–4: "Standing Room Only" (a.d. October 28, 1961)

''Bonanza'' (1960–61)

* ep. 2–13: "Silent Thunder" (a.d. December 10, 1960)

* ep. 2–19: "Bank Run" (a.d. January 28, 1961)

* ep. 2–25: "The Duke" (a.d. March 11, 1961)

* ep. 2–28: "The Rival" (a.d. April 15, 1961)

* ep. 2–31: "The Secret" (a.d. May 6, 1961)

* ep. 2–32 "The Dream Riders" (a.d. May 20, 1961)

* ep. 2–34: "Sam Hill" (a.d. June 3, 1961)

* ep. 3–7: "The Many Faces of Gideon Finch" (a.d. November 5, 1961)

''Lawman'' (1961) ep. #92 / 3–16: "The Robbery" (a.d. January 1, 1961)

''Surfside 6'' (1961) ep. 1–18: "Thieves Among Honor" (a.d. Jan 30, 1961)

''Peter Gunn'' (1958) ep. 3–28: "The Murder Bond" (a.d. April 24, 1961)

''Bus Stop'' (1961–62)

* ep. 4: "The Covering Darkness" (a.d. October 22, 1961)

* ep. 5: "Portrait of a Hero" (a.d. October 29, 1961)

* ep. 8: "Accessory By Consent" (a.d. November 19, 1961)

* ep. 10: "A Lion Walks Among Us" (a.d. December 3, 1961)

* ep. 12: "... And the Pursuit of Evil" (a.d. December 17, 1961)

* ep. 15: "Summer Lightning" (a.d. January 7, 1962)

* ep. 23: "Door Without a Key" (a.d. March 4, 1962)

* ep. 25: "County General" [possibly failed pilot] (a.d. March 18, 1962)

''Route 66'' (1961)

* ep. #40/2-10: "Some of the People, Some of the Time' (a.d. December 1, 61)

* ep. 3–17: "A Gift For A Warrior" (a.d. January 18, 1963) – often incorrectly cited, Altman did not direct this

''The Gallant Men'' (1962) pilot: "Battle Zone" (a.d. October 5, 1962)

''Combat!'' (1962–63)

* ep. 1-1: "Forgotten Front" (a.d. October 2, 1962)

* ep. 1–2: "Rear Echelon Commandos" (a.d. October 9, 1962)

* ep. 1–4: "Any Second Now" (a.d. October 23, 1962)

* ep. 1–7: "Escape to Nowhere" (a.d. December 20, 1962)

* ep. 1–9: "Cat and Mouse" (a.d. December 4, 1962)

* ep. 1–10: "I Swear By Apollo" (a.d. December 11, 1962)

* ep. 1–12: "The Prisoner" (a.d. December 25, 1962)

* ep. 1–16: "The Volunteer" (a.d. January 22, 1963)

* ep. 1–20: "Off Limits" (a.d. February 19, 1963)

* ep. 1–23: "Survival" (a.d. March 12, 1963)

''Kraft Suspense Theatre'' (1963)

* ep 1–8: "The Long Lost Life of Edward Smalley" (also writer) (a.d. December 12, 1963)

* ep 1–9: "The Hunt" (also writer) (a.d. December 19, 1963)

* ep 1–21: "Once Upon a Savage Night"

*: released as Television film ''Nightmare in Chicago'' in 1964

''The Long Hot Summer'' (1965) pilot

''Nightwatch'' (1968) pilot: "The Suitcase"

''Premiere'' (1968) ep. "Walk in the Sky" (a.d. July 15, 1968)

''Saturday Night Live'' (1977) ep. #39 / 2–16 "h: Sissy Spacek", seg. "Sissy's Roles" (a.d. March 12, 1977)

''Gun'' (aka ''Robert Altman's Gun'') (1997) ep. 4: "All the President's Women" (a.d. May 10, 1997)

: this episode, along with another, was released on DVD as ''Gun: Fatal Betrayal''; subsequently, the entire six-episode series was released

Awards and nominations

'''Academy Awards:

1971: Best Director (''MASH'', nominated)

1976: Best Picture (''Nashville'', nominated)

1976: Best Director (''Nashville'', nominated)

1993: Best Director (''The Player'', nominated)

1994: Best Director (''Short Cuts'', nominated)

2002: Best Picture (''Gosford Park'', nominated)

2002: Best Director (''Gosford Park'', nominated)

2006: Honorary Oscar (won)

'''BAFTA Awards:

1971: Best Direction (''MASH'', nominated)

1979: Best Direction (''A Wedding'', nominated)

1979: Best Screenplay (''A Wedding'', nominated)

1993: Best Film (''The Player'', nominated)

1993: Best Direction (''The Player'', won)

2002: Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film (''Gosford Park'', won)

2002: David Lean Award for Direction (''Gosford Park'', nominated)

'''Berlin International Film Festival:

1976: Golden Berlin Bear (''Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson'', won)

1985: FIPRESCI Prize - Forum of New Cinema (''Secret Honor'', won)

1999: Golden Berlin Bear (''Cookie's Fortune'', nominated)

1999: Prize of the Guild of German Art House Cinemas (''Cookie's Fortune'', won)

2002: Honorary Golden Berlin Bear (won)

2006: Golden Berlin Bear (''A Prairie Home Companion'', nominated)

2006: Reader Jury of the "Berliner Morgenpost" (''A Prairie Home Companion'', won)

'''Cannes Film Festival:

1970: Golden Palm (''MASH'', won)

1972: Golden Palm (''Images'', nominated)

1977: Golden Palm (''3 Women'', nominated)

1986: Golden Palm (''Fool for Love'', nominated)

1987: Golden Palm (''Aria'', nominated)

1992: Golden Palm (''The Player'', nominated)

1992: Best Director (''The Player'', won)

1996: Golden Palm (''Kansas City'', nominated)

'''Directors Guild of America Awards:

1971: Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures (''MASH'', nominated)

1976: Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures (''Nashville'', nominated)

1993: Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures (''The Player'', nominated)

1994: Lifetime Achievement Award (won)

2005: Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television (''Tanner on Tanner'', nominated)

'''Emmy Awards:

1989: Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series (''Tanner '88'', won)

1993: Outstanding Directing in a Variety or Music Program (''Great Performances - Black and Blue'', nominated)

'''Golden Globe Awards:

1971: Best Director (''MASH'', nominated)

1976: Best Director (''Nashville'', nominated)

1993: Best Director (''The Player'', nominated)

1994: Best Screenplay (''Short Cuts'', nominated)

2002: Best Director (''Gosford Park'', won)

'''Independent Spirit Awards:

1994: Best Director (''Short Cuts'', won)

1994: Best Screenplay (''Short Cuts'', won)

1995: Best Feature (''Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle'', nominated)

2000: Best Feature (''Cookie's Fortune'', nominated)

2007: Best Director (''A Prairie Home Companion'', nominated)

'''Venice Film Festival:

1993: Golden Lion (''Short Cuts'', won)

1996: Career Golden Lion (won)

2000: Golden Lion (''Dr T and the Women'', nominated)

Quotes

"Sometimes I feel like Little Eva, running across the ice .. with the dogs yapping at my ass. Maybe the reason I'm doing all this is so I can get a lot done before they catch up with me." – 1976

See also

Hyperlink cinema

Bibliographies

Robert Altman Bibliography (via UC Berkeley)

Rafal Syska, ''Keep the Distance. Film World of Robert Altman'', Rabid, Cracow 2008. ISBN 978-83-60236-36-9

Additional resources

The director's commentary on the ''McCabe & Mrs. Miller'' DVD, while focusing on that film, also to some degree covers Altman's general methodology as a director.

Judith M. Kass. ''Robert Altman: American Innovator'' early (1978) assessment of the director's work and his interest in gambling. Part of Leonard Maltin's Popular Library filmmaker series.

The English band Maxïmo Park have a song named "Robert Altman", a b-side to their single "Our Velocity"

The Criterion Collection has released several of Altman's films on DVD (Short Cuts, 3 Women, Tanner '88, Secret Honor) which include audio commentary and video interviews with him that shed light on his directing style.

Charles Warren, "Cavell, Altman and Cassavetes" in the Stanley Cavell special issue, Jeffey Crouse (ed.), ''Film International'', Issue 22, Vol. 4, No. 4, 2006, pp. 14–20.

Rick Armstrong, "Robert Altman: Critical Essays" Actors, historians, film scholars, and cultural theorists reflect on Altman and his five-decade career...(McFarland, February 18, 2011)

Mitchell Zuckoff, ''Robert Altman: The Oral Biography.'' New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009. ISBN 9780307267689

References

Sources

Cook, David A. (2000). ''Lost Illusions: American Cinema in the Shadow of Watergate and Vietnam, 1970–1979'' (Berkeley, Los Angeles, and London: University of California Press). ISBN 0-520-23265-8

External links

Robert Altman at the Criterion Collection

Listen to Robert Altman discussing his career – a British Library recording.

Robert Altman bibliography via UC Berkeley Media Resources Center

Still up to mischief – The Guardian, May 1, 2004

''Reverse Shot'' interview

The Onion A.V. Club's 2004 interview

The Onion A.V. Club's 2000 interview

Ebert's Altman Home Companion

Gerald Peary interview

Literature on Robert Altman

"Altman: Would you go to a movie that was hailed as a masterpiece?" by Roger Ebert

''Bomb'' magazine interview

Obituaries

CNN obituary The Guardian obituary The Times (London) obituary

Category:1925 births Category:2006 deaths Category:People from Kansas City, Missouri Category:Academy Honorary Award recipients Category:American atheists Category:American film directors Category:American military personnel of World War II Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:Best Director Golden Globe winners Category:Cancer deaths in California Category:Deaths from leukemia Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Former Roman Catholics Category:Organ transplant recipients Category:United States Army personnel Category:American film producers Category:American screenwriters Category:American film editors Category:Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Category:Opera librettists Category:American librettists Category:American Roman Catholics

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name	Matthew Modine
birth name	Matthew Avery Modine
birth date	March 22, 1959
birth place	Loma Linda, California, U.S.
occupation	Actor, director, writer
spouse	2 children
years active	1983–present }}

Matthew Avery Modine (born March 22, 1959) is an award-winning American actor. His film roles include Private Joker in Stanley Kubrick's ''Full Metal Jacket'', the title character in Alan Parker's ''Birdy'', high school wrestler Louden Swain in ''Vision Quest'', and the oversexed Sullivan Groff in ''Weeds''.

Early life

Modine, the youngest of seven children, was born in Loma Linda, California, the son of Dolores (née Warner), a bookkeeper, and Mark Alexander Modine, who managed drive-in theaters.

The first move for Modine was from his birthplace in Loma Linda to Imperial Beach, California. The family lived in Imperial Beach for two years before Mark was transferred to Salt Lake City, Utah where his father became the District Theater Manager of Sero Amusement Company. Mark was the manager of the Lyric Theater in downtown Salt Lake City. It was here that Matthew met Robert Redford during a publicity visit for the film ''Barefoot in the Park''.

At ten years old, Matthew saw a documentary about the making of the film ''Oliver!''. Inspired by the young actors' performances, Modine decided to become an actor. He found a dance school in Provo, Utah and began taking tap dancing lessons. He also joined the junior high school glee club when his family moved to Midvale, Utah.

At fourteen, his father was transferred back to Imperial Beach, California. Matthew began the eighth grade at Mar Vista Junior High, and his sophomore year at Mar Vista High School. He performed in a production of ''Our Town'' as George Gibbs. In his junior year, Matthew attended Southwest High School, but after the murder of a classmate, the school feared retaliation and gang violence, so his parents chose to send him back to Mar Vista High. Matthew convinced his parents to allow him to attend Marian Catholic High School, but he later graduated from Mar Vista High.

Modine moved to New York to pursue his acting career, but struggled to get a foothold there. After several months he returned to Imperial Beach, where he saw the violence and substance abuse problems plaguing the small border town taking a toll on his friends. It became apparent to Modine that remaining in the San Diego area could prove disastrous.

Modine moved back to New York City more determined to study acting. He began working with legendary acting teacher Stella Adler. He has maintained his residence in New York since 1980.

Career

His first film role was in John Sayles' ''Baby It's You''. His performance caught the eye of director Harold Becker, who cast him in ''Vision Quest (Crazy for You)'' based on the novel by Terry Davis. He appeared in the sex comedy ''Private School'', co-starring Phoebe Cates and Betsy Russell. The director Robert Altman propelled Modine to international stardom with his film adaptation of David Rabe's play ''Streamers''. Modine and his fellow castmates won an unprecedented Best Actor prize from the Venice Film Festival for the tragic story of young American soldiers about to be shipped to Vietnam. Modine played Mel Gibson's brother in ''Mrs. Soffel'' and starred with Nicolas Cage in Alan Parker's ''Birdy''. The film was awarded a prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

Modine might be best known for his role as Private Joker, the central character of Stanley Kubrick's 1987 war movie ''Full Metal Jacket''. Subsequently, he played the dangerous young criminal Treat in Alan Pakula's film version of the hugely successful Lyle Kessler stageplay ''Orphans'', and played the goofy, earnest FBI agent Mike Downey in Jonathan Demme's screwball comedy ''Married to the Mob'' opposite Michelle Pfeiffer. In 1990 he led the cast of ''Memphis Belle'', a fictionalized account of the famous B-17 Flying Fortress. Modine was nominated for an Emmy Award for his performances in ''And the Band Played On'' (an HBO TV movie about the early years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic) and the dark comedy ''What the Deaf Man Heard''.

In 1995, he appeared opposite Geena Davis in the romantic action-adventure film ''Cutthroat Island''. Modine made his feature directorial debut with ''If... Dog... Rabbit'', which came after the success of three short films debuting at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival: ''When I Was a Boy'' (co-directed with Todd Field), ''Smoking'' written by David Sedaris, and ''Ecce Pirate'' written by Modine. The dark comedy, ''I Think I Thought'' debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film tells the story of a Thinker (Modine) who ends up in Thinkers Anonymous. Other short films include, ''To Kill an American'', ''Cowboy'', and ''The Love FIlm''. in 2011, he completed ''Jesus Was a Commie'', an avant garde-dialectical conversation about the world and the prominent issues of modern society. Modine co-directed the short film with Terence Ziegler, the editor of ''I Think I Thought''. Modine's short films have played internationally.

In 2003, he guest starred on ''The West Wing'' in the episode "The Long Goodbye". He portrayed the character Marco, who went to high school with Cregg (Allison Janney), and who helped her deal with her father's steady mental decline due to Alzheimer's disease. Modine agreed to the role because he is a longtime friend of Janney. (The two appeared in a theatrical production of the play ''Breaking Up'', directed by Stuart Ross). That same year, he played Fritz Gerlich in the CBS miniseries ''Hitler: The Rise of Evil''.

In 2005, Abel Ferrara's ''Mary'' won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. In the film, Modine portrayed a director recounting the story of Mary Magdalene (Juliette Binoche).

In 2010, Modine appeared in ''The Trial'', which was awarded the Parents Television Council's Seal of Approval™. The PTC said: "'The Trial' combines the best features of courtroom drama, murder mystery and character story. 'The Trial' is a powerful drama which shows the power of healing and hope."

Modine played a corrupt Majestic City developer named "Sullivan Groff" throughout Season 3 on ''Weeds''. Groff has affairs with Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker) and Celia Hodes (Elizabeth Perkins). He also guest starred in the ''Law and Order: Special Victims Unit'' episode "Rage" as a serial killer.

In 2010, Modine worked on HBO's ''Too Big to Fail'', a film about the Wall Street financial crisis. Modine stars as John Thain, former Chairman and CEO of Merrill Lynch, who famously spent millions decorating his office.

In 2011, Modine completed two independent films, ''Family Weekend'' and ''Ansiedad'' opposite Eva Mendes, and commenced work on Christopher Nolan's ''The Dark Knight Rises''.

Theatre

Modine appeared in Arthur Miller's ''Finishing the Picture'' at Chicago's Goodman Theatre, and Miller's ''Resurrection Blues'' at London's Old Vic. He played Atticus Finch in ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' at Connecticut's Hartford Stage. This production became the most successful play in the theatre's 45-year history. In 2010, he starred in the 50th Anniversary Broadway rival of the The Miracle Worker at the Circle in the Square theatre.

Filmography

''Private School'' (1983)

''Streamers'' (1983) by Robert Altman

''Birdy'' (1984)

''The Hotel New Hampshire'' (1984)

''Mrs. Soffel'' (1984)

''Vision Quest'' (1985)

''Orphans'' (1987)

''Full Metal Jacket'' (1987) by Stanley Kubrick

''Married to the Mob'' (1988) by Jonathan Demme

''Gross Anatomy'' (1989)

''Memphis Belle'' (1990)

''Pacific Heights'' (1990) by John Schlesinger

''Wind'' (1992)

''Equinox'' (1992) by Alan Rudolph

''Short Cuts'' (1993) by Robert Altman

''And the Band Played On'' (1993, HBO Cable)

''The Browning Version'' (1994)

''Cutthroat Island'' (1995)

''Bye Bye Love'' (1995)

''Fluke'' (1995)

''What the Deaf Man Heard'' (1996, TV)

''The Maker'' (1997)

''The Blackout'' (1997)

''The Real Blonde'' (1997)

''Any Given Sunday'' (1999) by Oliver Stone

''Flowers for Algernon'' (2000, TV)

''In the Shadows'' (2001)

''The American'' (2001, TV)

''Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story'' (2001, TV)

''Redeemer'' (2002, TV)

''Hitler: The Rise of Evil'' (2003)

''Le Divorce'' (2003) by James Ivory

''Funky Monkey'' (2004)

''The Winning Season'' (2004, TV)

''Opa'' (2005)

''Transporter 2'' (2005)

''Into The West'' (2005, TV)

''Kettle of Fish'' (2006)

''Mary'' (2006)

''The Bedford Diaries'' (2006, TV)

''Go Go Tales'' (2007)

''The Neighbor'' (2007)

''Weeds'' (2007, TV)

''Have Dreams, Will Travel'' (2007)

''PoliWood'' (2009)

''The Trial'' (2010)

''Frenemy'' aka (*''Little Fish, Strange Pond'') (film) (2010)

''Mia and the Migoo'' (English language version) (2011)

''Too Big To Fail'' (2011, HBO)

''Jesus Was a Commie'' (2011)

Winsor McCay's and Bill Plympton's ''The Flying House'' (1921-2011)

''Family Weekend'' (2012)

''Ansiedad'' aka (*"See If I Care") (2011)

''The Dark Knight Rises'' (2012)

References

Flowers for Algernon (2008)

External links

Bicycle for a Day

Full Metal Jacket Diary

OPA! official website

Category:1959 births Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:Living people Category:Brigham Young University alumni Category:People from Salt Lake City, Utah Category:People from the Inland Empire (California) Category:People from Imperial Beach, California

ca:Matthew Modine da:Matthew Modine de:Matthew Modine es:Matthew Modine fa:متیو موداین fr:Matthew Modine he:מת'יו מודין it:Matthew Modine nl:Matthew Modine ja:マシュー・モディーン no:Matthew Modine pl:Matthew Modine pt:Matthew Modine ru:Модайн, Мэттью fi:Matthew Modine sv:Matthew Modine

name	Adolphe Menjou
birth name	Adolphe Jean Menjou
birth date	February 18, 1890
birth place	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
death date	October 29, 1963
death place	Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
death cause	Hepatitis
occupation	Actor
years active	1914–1960
spouse	}}

Adolphe Jean Menjou (February 18, 1890 – October 29, 1963) was an American actor. His career spanned both silent films and talkies, appearing in such films as ''The Sheik'', ''A Woman of Paris'', ''Morocco'', and ''A Star is Born''. He was nominated for an Academy Award for ''The Front Page'' in 1931.

Early life

Menjou was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to a French father, Albert Menjou, and an Irish mother from Galway, Nora (née Joyce). He was raised Catholic and attended the Culver Military Academy, graduating from Cornell University with a degree in engineering. Attracted to the vaudeville stage, he made his movie debut in 1916 in ''The Blue Envelope Mystery''. During World War I, he served as a captain in the ambulance service.

Stardom

Returning from the war, he became a star in such films as ''The Sheik'' and ''The Three Musketeers''. When he starred in 1923's ''A Woman of Paris'', he solidified the image of a well-dressed man-about-town, and was later voted the Best Dressed Man in America nine times. His career stalled with the coming of talkies, but in 1930, he starred in ''Morocco'', with Marlene Dietrich. He was nominated for an Academy Award for ''The Front Page'' (1931).

McCarthy era

In 1947, Menjou cooperated with the House Committee on Un-American Activities in its hunt for Communists in Hollywood. Menjou was a leading member of the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, a group formed to oppose Communist influence in Hollywood. Other members included John Wayne, Barbara Stanwyck (with whom he co-starred in ''Forbidden'' in 1932 and ''Golden Boy'' in 1939) and her husband, actor Robert Taylor.

Because of his political sympathies, Menjou came into conflict with actress Katharine Hepburn. Menjou appeared with her in the films ''Stage Door'' and ''State of the Union'', which also starred Spencer Tracy. Hepburn was strongly opposed to Americans co-operating with the McCarthy hearings. It was reported by William Mann in his biography of Hepburn, ''Kate'', that during the filming of ''State of the Union'', she and Menjou only spoke to each other when required to in the film script.

Later years and death

Menjou ended his film career with such roles as French General George Broulard in 1957's ''Paths of Glory'', and as the town curmudgeon in ''Pollyanna'' in 1960.

He guest starred as Fitch, with Orson Bean and Sue Randall as John and Ellen Monroe, in an 1961 episode, "The Secret Life of James Thurber", based on the works of the American humorist James Thurber, of the CBS anthology series ''The DuPont Show with June Allyson''. He also appeared in the Thanksgiving episode of NBC's ''The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford,'' which aired on November 22, 1956. His final film, Disney's ''Pollyanna'' (1960) was one his best known roles.

Menjou died on October 29, 1963 of hepatitis in Beverly Hills. He was interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Legacy

In 1948, he published his autobiography, ''It Took Nine Tailors''. Menjou has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6822 Hollywood Blvd.

Menjou had a brother Henri Menjou (1891–1956) who made an attempt to become an actor. He made three films for Paramount in the mid 1930s.

Partial filmography

''Nearly a King'' (1916)

''The Blue Envelope Mystery'' (1916)

''The Sheik'' (1921)

''The Three Musketeers'' (1921)

''Head Over Heels'' (1922)

''Clarence'' (1922)

''A Woman of Paris'' (1923)

''Bella Donna'' (1923)

''The Marriage Circle'' (1924)

''Forbidden Paradise'' (1924)

''The King on Main Street'' (1925)

''Are Parents People?'' (1925)

''A Social Celebrity'' (1926)

''The Sorrows of Satan'' (1926)

''A Gentleman of Paris'' (1927)

''His Private Life'' (1928) with Kathryn Carver

''A Night of Mystery'' (1928)

''Mysterious Mr. Parkes'' (1930)

''Morocco'' (1930)

''The Easiest Way'' (1931)

''The Front Page'' (1931)

''Friends and Lovers'' (1932)

''Forbidden'' (1932)

''A Farewell to Arms'' (1932)

''Morning Glory'' (1933)

''Convention City'' (1933)

''Wife Beware'' (1933; first film ever shown at a drive-in)

''The Trumpet Blows'' (1934)

''Little Miss Marker'' (1934)

''Journal of a Crime''(1934)

''The Mighty Barnum'' (1934)

''Gold Diggers of 1935'' (1935)

''Broadway Gondolier'' (1935)

''The Milky Way'' (1936)

''A Star Is Born'' (1937)

''One Hundred Men and a Girl'' (1937)

''Stage Door'' (1937)

''The Goldwyn Follies'' (1938)

''Golden Boy'' (1939)

''The Housekeeper's Daughter'' (1939)

''That’s Right You’re Wrong'' (1939)

''Road Show'' (1941)

''Father Takes a Wife'' (1941)

''Roxie Hart'' (1942)

''You Were Never Lovelier'' (1942)

''Hi Diddle Diddle'' (1943)

''Step Lively'' (1944)

''Heartbeat'' (1946)

''The Hucksters'' (1947)

''State of the Union'' (1948)

''My Dream Is Yours'' (1949)

''To Please a Lady'' (1950)

''The Tall Target'' (1951)

''Across the Wide Missouri'' (1951)

''The Sniper'' (1952)

''The Ambassador's Daughter'' (1956)

''Bundle of Joy'' (1956)

''The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown'' (1957)

''Paths of Glory'' (1957)

''I Married a Woman'' (1958)

''Pollyanna'' (1960)

References

External links

Photographs of Adolphe Menjou

Category:1890 births Category:1963 deaths Category:Actors from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Category:American film actors Category:American silent film actors Category:Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery Category:California Republicans Category:Cornell University alumni Category:Deaths from hepatitis Category:American people of French descent Category:American people of Irish descent Category:Pennsylvania Republicans Category:Vaudeville performers

an:Adolphe Menjou ca:Adolphe Menjou da:Adolphe Menjou de:Adolphe Menjou es:Adolphe Menjou eu:Adolphe Menjou fa:آدولف منژو fr:Adolphe Menjou it:Adolphe Menjou nl:Adolphe Menjou ja:アドルフ・マンジュー no:Adolphe Menjou pl:Adolphe Menjou pt:Adolphe Menjou ru:Менжу, Адольф fi:Adolphe Menjou sv:Adolphe Menjou